Alan Schroeder, 9/12/11

Professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University

At the CNN-Tea Party Debate in Tampa, Mitt Romney gave one of the strongest performances of his political career in front of a crowd that did not seem to care. From the standpoint of audience approval, with only a few exceptions, this was Rick Perry's night.

Robert Reich, 9/12/11

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Aftershock'

In proposing a huge deficit reduction package, the president continues to reinforce the canard that the budget deficit is our biggest challenge -- indeed, that we're in the fix we're in because government has become too big.

Lincoln Mitchell, 9/13/11

Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Despite both being conservative Republicans with abrasive styles and palpable contempt for educated liberals and having both having served as governor of Texas, Bush and Perry are quite different.

Theresa Albert, 9/13/11

Author, food writer, nutritionist, founder www.myfriendinfood.com

The government regulates the information on the label, right? But there are things you need to know about what's missing or misleading on a food label that could be affecting your health.

Michael Roth, 9/13/11

President, Wesleyan University

Manufacturing Hysteria is a political book, aimed at reminding those dedicated to civil liberties (especially the right to dissent) how fragile our freedoms are and how "close to a police state" we have come over the last century.

Jeff Selingo, 9/13/11

Editorial Director, The Chronicle of Higher Education

The annual college rankings from U.S. News & World Report were released Tuesday, and you'll find plenty of news coverage and commentary about the influence (or hype) of this annual guide.

Carl Sferrazza Anthony, 9/13/11

First Ladies and Presidential Families Historian, Author & Screenwriter

How Jackie Kennedy became ingrained in the world's imagination as an Icon is a phenomena of Cold War politics, Hollywood film techniques, feminism, marketing, advertising, mythology and globalization.

Nathan Eagle, 9/13/11

CEO, txteagle

While there are well under a billion PCs in use in emerging markets today, there are 3.8 billion mobile phones. There is a huge opportunity to use the mobile channel to connect emerging consumers to the brands so eager to know them.

Dylan Ratigan, 9/13/11

Host, MSNBC's 'The Dylan Ratigan Show'; Author, soon to be released 'Greedy Bastards'

During both the Bush administration, and now the Obama administration, the government has kept information about possible Saudi government help to the hijackers redacted, and the FBI has not disclosed the full extent of its investigations of Saudi involvement in the attacks.

Amanda Kraus, 9/13/11

Founder and executive director, Row New York

How does learning to be competitive as a young woman help her succeed in college and beyond? It's only in being competitive that we ask ourselves to lean in, to go beyond where we are comfortable, to make an effort and see what results.

Keli Goff, 9/12/11

Author, commentator and contributing editor, TheLoop21.com

Since taking office, President Obama has endured seemingly endless criticism for what supporters and foes alike deem his inability to emote, or at least to emote enough for their liking.

January Jones and Andrew Sharpless, 9/12/11

These majestic predators have been swimming the world's oceans for more than 400 million years, and we should keep them where they belong -- in the wild, with their fins firmly attached.

Leo Hindery, Jr., 9/13/11

Chairman, U.S. Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation

For America today, with uncertainty and fatalism being felt in every quarter, there is sadly no Winston Churchill in sight. An absence particularly noticeable just two days after the memorial services surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Mike Davis, 9/13/11

Author, 'In Praise of Barbarians: Essays Against Empire'

Obama has become the chief curator of the Bush legacy: a born-again convert to special ops, killer drones, immense intelligence budgets, Orwellian surveillance technology, secret jails, and the superhero cult of former general, now CIA Director David Petraeus.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 9/13/11

U.S. Senator from California

Cluster bombs threaten civilians because they leave hundreds of unexploded bomblets -- which often experience high failure rates -- spread over wide areas. They are also notoriously inaccurate.

Diane Salvatore, 9/13/11

Editor-in-Chief, Prevention Magazine

Why is ovarian cancer -- currently the deadliest of gynecological cancers -- still treated as though it's some rare virus caught on the surface of Mars?

Dean Baker, 9/12/11

Co-Director of CEPR and author of The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive

The latest budget proposal to raise the age of Medicare eligibility is a proposal to increase health care costs to our children and grandchildren by $2.7 trillion. The idea that this cut is being presented as somehow helping our children is a sick joke.

Susan Kaiser Greenland, 9/13/11

Author, 'The Mindful Child'

It's the habit and the hubris of parents and educators to ask, "What can we teach teenagers?" rather than the other way around. Yet, when it comes to using technology wisely, we would be wise to take a lesson from them.

Mark Penn, 9/12/11

CEO, Burson-Marsteller

Just as the Vietnam war reset expectations about America in the world, so 9/11 changed America's outlook in the opening of the 21st century.

Larissa Archer, 9/12/11

Writer, theatre worker

Marriage has always held a place in the image of myself that seems so far away, I almost believe I will have to be a completely different person by the time it happens.

Phil Angelides, 9/12/11

Chairman, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

Three years after Wall Street came unhinged, there has been too little progress made in fixing our financial system so that it works for all Americans, not just the titans of finance, and there have been few consequences for those who drove our economy over the cliff.

Richard Bangs, 9/12/11

Author, 'The Lost River'

Costa Rica is like the monkey who locked up the zookeeper. It's put away the constrained thinking that keeps others stuck in unproductive routines and allowed its wildness to escape the margins.

Randi Weingarten, 9/12/11

President, American Federation of Teachers

I will forever be proud of the teachers and school staff who bravely put aside concerns for their own safety to protect their students. I think of the courage, caring and resourcefulness they displayed.

Arianna Huffington, 9/12/11

As we commemorate 9/11, we should remember that this is also the 10th anniversary of 9/12 -- the day when the shock began to wear off, the full dimensions of the tragedy began to become clear, and the country began to decide what its reaction was going to be.